amandasheppardauthor

Tag: books

  • “Jaw‑Dropping Neglect”: The Incomprehensible Abuse of a 14‑Year‑Old Girl in Wisconsin

    Some cases shake the public. Others shake the justice system. And then there are cases like the one heard this week in Outagamie County—a case so severe, so unimaginable in its cruelty, that the presiding judge simply called it “incomprehensible.” This is the story of a 14‑year‑old girl whose life was systematically stripped away, piece…

  • When News Hunting Turns Dark: The Story That Stayed With Me

    Some days, my news‑hunting work feels like wading through shadows — the kind of stories that stick to you long after you’ve closed the file, long after the headline stops trending. Today was one of those days. The kind where the details are heavy, the truth is ugly, and you’re reminded how deeply unsettling real…

  • The Man in the Mask: Philadelphia’s Dawn of Fear

    The city was still half‑asleep when the nightmare slipped in. Philadelphia usually wakes slow—streetlamps flickering against empty sidewalks, the first bus sighing into motion, joggers breathing steam into the early‑morning dark. But on August 12th, something else woke with the city. Something wearing a grin carved out of cheap plastic and bad intentions. The man…

  • A Family Silenced: The Florida Case Now Facing a Jury’s Final Judgment

    Miami has never forgotten the November evening when Gladys Machado and her two young daughters vanished into silence. Their home in Flagami—once filled with the ordinary noise of family life—became the setting of a tragedy that unsettled the community for years. Now, more than a decade later, the man who admitted responsibility sits in a…

  • The Unsettling Reality of “Random” Violence: What the Capitola Mall Stabbing Reveals

    As a true crime writer, I spend countless hours immersed in current news—monitoring cases, tracking developments, and studying the unsettling patterns that emerge when everyday life is shattered by violence. Most stories, even the shocking ones, follow an understandable trajectory: a motive tied to relationships, money, history, or opportunity. But every so often, a case…

  • The Woman in the Walls: The Haunting Case of Brenda Marie LeBlanc

    For more than two decades, Brenda Marie LeBlanc existed only as a question — a woman who slipped out of the 1990s and into silence, leaving behind no trace except the memories of those who once knew her. She was not listed on missing‑person registries. She was not the subject of national searches or televished…

  • A Troubling Case in Maricopa County: When Help Isn’t Enough

    WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Some cases linger long after you read them—stories so distressing and complex that they challenge your understanding of how neglect, vulnerability, and personal choice collide. The Maricopa County case involving Vivian Shimkus, his mom and his adult son is one of those situations, and the more details that emerge, the more unsettling…

  • An Unfolding Nightmare in Chino Hills

    True crime often forces us to confront the moments when violence and desperation collide—and on a quiet Wednesday night in Chino Hills, California, one of those moments erupted into a scene as chilling as any case I’ve explored in my upcoming book, Angels of Death: The Hidden Crimes of Medical Killers. Residents on Monteverde Drive…

  • Inside the Psychology of “Black Widow” Killers — And Why Their Stories Still Terrify Us

    When most people imagine a serial killer, they picture a man: a stranger in the shadows, a predator driven by sadism or compulsion. But history — and the present — tell a different story. A quieter, more calculated kind of killer exists, one who moves through kitchens, bedrooms, and hospital rooms with disarming ease. The…

  • Hey y’all! I wrote a book! 🎉

    I’m thrilled to share that my latest (and first) novel, Black Widows, is now available on Amazon. If you’ve been following my work, you know it explores the power, resilience, and hidden strengths women find when the world underestimates them. Here’s a deep dive into what makes this story close to my heart: 🕷️ In‑Depth…